


Your Hands Are Where Mine Belong In

by drowninships



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, M/M, MY SONS, One Shot, domestic-ish, gay af, i just love them both, idk lmao, idk what i was actually doing, klance, klangst??, mostly keith's gay inner narrative tbh, rly pure actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 17:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8587474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowninships/pseuds/drowninships
Summary: Keith looked up for what seemed like the hundredth time and found two surprising things.One, Lance had an expression on his face that Keith had never seen before. It looked like concern. Keith has seen a bit of it earlier on, but not as full blown as this. And never directed at him. Lance’s lips were pulled in a thin line and his frown only etched deeper on his face. Oh, and he was holding onto Keith’s hands.That was number two. (Or in which Shiro is badly injured and Keith panics. He holds Lance’s hand a lot.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> forgive me i haven't written anything fanfic-y in 4398437523 years

“What kind of stupid idiot goes out into space alone and fights an armada of alien ships?” Lance asks, face incredulous. He was seated directly in front of Keith with his arms crossed and his knee bouncing up and down from the exhilaration of battle. His tone was hard and cold, but Keith could hear the slight tremor in his voice - a glimmer of concern lacing it just at the edges.

“I got him _out_ ,” Keith answers and he realizes his own voice is tight. His grip on his helmet tightens. He sets it down beside him.

“Yes, but you nearly got blown up in the process,” Lance bites back. His knee won’t stop shaking and he’s still trying to get Keith to look him in the eye. “We’re a team, Kogane. In case you forgot, the whole point of Voltron wasn’t some solo suicide mission.”

His words stung. Keith takes a deep breath and finally raises his eyes to meet the dark blue of his team mate’s. “I couldn’t- couldn’t lose Shiro,” he pauses. “Not again. Not after last time.”

Lance’s knee stops bouncing up and down. He settles his arms at his side and after a long moment, seems to reconsider it as he laces his fingers together.

“Well you didn’t,” Lance says. “He’s okay now.”

“Because I went after him.”

“No- _yes_ , but no. We all could’ve gone after him together. We’re supposed to be doing that _together_ , Keith.”

Keith shakes his head. “Look, whatever, okay? It’s done. I’m fine. Shiro’s fine. Or at least I think he is.”

Keith turns his eyes towards the open doorway that led to the room with the healing pods. He’d walked away from that room a little while earlier with his breath short and his head pounding. It was just like the last time.

It was a few seconds after that, Lance McClain shortly followed him and planted himself at the seat in front of Keith. They hadn’t said a word for about two minutes before Lance cracked (of course Lance did) and decided to do what he does best: annoy the living hell out of Keith Kogane. After the exchange - which was more of a banter, really -  there were footsteps to his left and Allura’s tall figure strides into view. The light from the room behind her illuminated her hair, drenching it in light so it looked like she had a halo. A large-ass halo.

“He’s stable,” Allura says, her multicolored eyes shining with what seemed like unshed tears. Keith let out a relieved breath. He opened his mouth to speak, but the look on Allura’s face prevented any words from slipping out.

“For now,” she quietly adds.

 _For now_. What does that even mean?

_Kerberos Mission Disappears_

A cold feeling settled in his chest, almost like his heart was held in a vice grip. He remembered this familiar feeling. It was the same one he felt when he saw the headlines for the Kerberos Mission. But before Keith could find his voice and ask his question, Lance gets to it first.

“For now? What do you mean?” Lance asks. His knee has started to move again. Keith finds his gaze directed towards it, his mind elsewhere. 

“He’s lost a lot of blood. The healing pod will do its job at helping him heal, but it’s all up to Shiro now,” Allura answers. She waits for no reply as she turns around and walks back into the room. Keith watches her as she places a hand against one of the healing pods - the one with Shiro in it. He remembers half dragging the unconscious paladin and hauling him in there. He glances at his gloves and at his arms. He’s long shrugged his jacket off. It had too much blood on it. 

“Keith,” a voice calls out. It sounds so far off, like an echo across a wide canyon. He clenches his fist then rips off his gloves. It also had blood on it.

“Keith.” He hears it again, and this time he looks up. He’s met again with Lance’s stare. He no longer looks pissed off nor does he have his usual trademark smirk on his face. He looked solemn. Keith could see it in his eyes.

“You did your best out there,” he says. “No one could’ve done better.” 

“Apparently it isn’t enough,” Keith says coldly. He glares at the other boy and looks at his hands again. They were clean, except for his fingers. He had used them to check if Shiro even had a pulse. 

* * *

 

_“Keith,” Shiro lets out. “If I don’t make it out of here alive…”_

_“Shut your quiznak,” Keith says, panicked. He didn’t know what to say, so the first thing that popped into his head was the insult that Lance had thrown at him all those weeks ago._

_“Listen, if I die,” Shiro pauses as he takes a shallow breath, “I want you to lead voltron.”_

_Keith nearly jerks Red, causing them to almost collide into a stray asteroid. He risks a glance at Shiro, who was propped up against the wall. Everything was so red. His console was red. His armor was red. The holographic screen was red. The floor was red and slick with Shiro’s blood._

_“I’m not leading Voltron,” he says, dragging his eyes back to the vast openness of space. “You are.”_

_“Keith, please-”_

_“Stop talking. We’re almost at the castle ship and once we’re there, I’m throwing your ass into one of those healing pods.”_

_Keith refused to look at Shiro. The guy had been one of his only (if not the only) friends back at the Garrison. He was not going to lose him. Far ahead of him, he could see the faint glow of the other blue, green, and yellow lions steadily flying towards the castle ship. He’d turned off his comm as soon as he was seated inside Red. He didn’t even think. He just knew that they took Shiro and he was going to get him back, no matter the cost._

_“Keith.” Shiro._

* * *

 

“Keith?” A different voice. Keith finds himself back at the ship and away from the memories of the earlier events, though it wasn’t the call of his name that brought him back to the present. It was the warmth that enveloped his bare hands, holding them tightly. Keith looked up for what seemed like the hundredth time and found two surprising things. 

One, Lance had an expression on his face that Keith had never seen before. It looked like concern. Keith has seen a bit of it earlier on, but not as full blown as this. And never directed at him. Lance’s lips were pulled in a thin line and his frown only etched deeper on his face. Oh, and he was holding onto Keith’s hands.

That was number two.

Lance’s thumbs caressed the back of Keith’s hands. Keith was well aware of Lance’s flirty side. Lance McClain was touchy and shameless when it came to where his hands landed. Someone’s face, someone’s arm, and God forbid someone’s ass. This wasn’t that Lance, Keith thought. This Lance was different.

Keith wasn’t a big fan of physical contact - despised it, really - but he didn’t pull away. His earlier years had been a series of watching other kids run to their parents or siblings or anyone else for that matter when they had their knees scraped up. Keith never understood the concept of comfort, never had anyone to help him understand it. That was until now.

Whatever supreme being lorded over the universe must be playing at him because why did it have to be Lance McClain who showed him that? Lance must have seen the uneasy expression on Keith’s face because he gently set his hands down. His face flushed a little and so did Keith’s, if he was being really honest.

“Sorry,” Lance quickly says, “My Ma used to do that to me every time I got banged up from from chasing my siblings around the house.”

“But I didn’t get banged up,” Keith says and only realizes how stupid that sounded right after.

“You didn’t, yeah,” Lance laughs. It doesn’t sound as obnoxious anymore - it came out easy and the sound made Keith’s stomach feel like _it_ was the one banged up. “You were scrubbing your hands like hell, though. Against your jeans. If I’d let you at it a little longer, you’d have yourself a nice little cloth burn, Mullet.”

Keith frowns. He doesn’t remember that. He looks at his hands and he finds that some of the blood has been wiped off. He must have done that absentmindedly when he was thinking about what happened. It had smudged across his palms and he felt like throwing up.

“There’s a sink for that very purpose, Keith. Or a shower,” Lance tries to joke, “I could go with you and show you to them.”

There is a pregnant pause and Lance suddenly turns red in the face. “Not-not that I’m going to be in there. With you. In the shower, I mean." 

Lance’s eyes are wide and his hands were gesturing widely. He runs them across his hair, obviously flustered. Keith couldn’t help it - he lets out a short laugh. It’s abrupt and restrained, much in stark contrast to Lance’s melodic one. 

“I think I got it, man,” Keith grins. Instead of answering him, Lance opted to stare at him. He had a look that was a mix of confusion and amusement. Keith didn’t know what it meant, but he didn’t say anything, afraid of ruining the mood. It wasn’t very often that the red and blue paladin were on the same book - nevermind the same page. They weren’t even of the same genre.

Lance didn’t say anything either. He kept the expression on his face, though a smile was slowly forming on his lips. Keith recognized the slight upturn on the corners of his mouth. Keith had spent one too many times being at the expense of such a smile. He’s learned to ignore it, although somehow, right at this moment, he finds himself unable to.

He continued to stay silent as he abruptly stood up and took sieze of one of Keith’s ungloved hands and pulls him up and further down the semi-lit hallway, away from Shiro and the healing pods.

 “Lance?” Keith asks, eyeing his hand which was once again at the clasp of Lance’s tan and softer one. “Where are we going?”

_And why do you keep holding my hand?_

“You’re a mess, _querido_ ,” is all Lance says as he drags Keith forward.

“Says you,” Keith replies, “And what the fuck is a querido?”

“You’re saying it wrong, _estúpido_.”

“Hey, I recognized that one.”

“Mhm,” Lance says, his focus on something else. They finally reach a branch of the castle ship that was close to their own rooms. Evidently enough, Keith found himself in front of the doorway that led to the bathroom. Lance had paused right in front of it. 

“What, are you going to watch me shower?” Keith smirks and Lance whips his head around to look right at him. The redness was creeping up his face once more, and Keith found himself milking this reaction.

“I do the flirting, Kogane, it doesn’t suit you,” Lance mumbles as he tried to regain his composure. 

“I wasn’t flirti-” 

“Save it, Mullet,” Lance retorts and lets go of Keith’s hand, but only to place it on the small of his back. He pushes Keith through the doorway and turns him so that he faces the mirror.

“Lance, what the actual fu-”

He is stopped by Lance’s hands. Again. Keith is having a field day with all this touching at this rate. He watches, unable to move as Lance directs his hands towards the sink and turns the tap on. Water flows steadily from it, a consistent and calming sound against the humming of the ship’s engines.

“ _lluvia moja la piel de un leopardo_ ,” Lance says, almost inaudibly. Keith’s eyes slowly take in the fact that Lance is gently dragging Keith’s hands towards the water. It’s warm but it does not compare to Lance’s hands.

“Rain wets a leopard’s skin,” Lance translates when he sees the confused expression on Keith’s face. Lance continues, “Rain wets a leopard's skin, but it does not wash out the spots.”

The translation did nothing to ease Keith’s confusion. Keith wasn’t much for metaphors. Things have always seemed black and white to him - it was this or that. No life being a box of chocolates or any of that bullshit. Keith also realizes that in the weeks they have spent together, this is the first time he’s hearing Lance’s native tongue. That is, aside from the profanity he hears in his comm whenever they’ve formed Voltron and the eerie purple light of a Galra ship loomed ahead.

“What-what does that mean?” Keith barely makes out as his heart felt like it was going to jump out through his mouth. Lance is running his thumbs across Keith’s palm and in all honesty, Keith feels like he’s going to pass out. The water that runs down his hands stains the sink pink as Lance helped Keith wash off the blood from his hands. He notices his hands are shaking. Lance’s are, too.

Lance looks at him again in that funny way of his, like he was making fun Keith for not quite getting the symbolisms. “When I was twelve,” Lance began after a short moment of silence, “I got into a fight with one of my classmates.” 

“Typical,” Keith rolled his eyes.

Lance paused momentarily from his weird hand washing ritual to glare pointedly at Keith. “I got sent home because, let me tell you man, it was bloody,” he continued. Keith noticed he seemed rather proud of that. Typical.

“Anyways, when I got home, I expected my Ma to come yell at me like she always does when I get into fights with my other siblings.” Lance is now touching his wrists. Apparently his gloves hadn’t been enough to keep his hands dry from the blood. 

“She didn’t,” Lance grinned, “Oh did I forget to mention that that _cabr_ _ó_ _n_ had been at me for _months_ before that incident? I never understood what I did to make that guy so angry, but whatever the hell it was, it made him real mad.

“But when I got home that day, Ma took me straight to the sink and washed all the blood off me. Had a lot of it on my hands and my face and on my clothes. I think a lot of it was mine. But she didn’t say anything for a while. And then when she finally did, she told me that little leopard proverb I just said.”

Lance was now rinsing off the soap. His thumbs made circles on the back of his hands, much like earlier. He held on to them just a bit and let the water run. Then Keith’s hands were clean. “She said it meant shit happened in life - you know, the rain? But we’ve all still got our spots in the end. Eventually, the rain will stop falling and we can get over whatever life throws at us. I believe in that.”

At this point, Lance was toweling Keith’s hands dry. Keith didn’t say anything, and at one point, Lance ditched the towel and held onto Keith’s hands. Hell, if he kept on doing that, Keith was sure Lance’s hands would fit more perfectly in his than his gloves did. They were warmer, too. Lance looked up from their hands and looked at Keith. He hadn’t been looking at Keith the whole time he was washing his hands. Now that he did, Keith was downright thankful he didn’t. His stomach was pretty banged up at this point. 

“I didn’t understand it then, but I do now,” Lance says carefully, like if he spoke any louder, Keith would break. Thinking about it, he just might. “Shiro’s gonna be fine.”

“You think so?” Keith asks skeptically. He felt like a child who was being patronized by his parents. Not that he’s ever known that feeling. But if he would, this comes close.

Instead of answering, Lance took it upon himself to attack Keith’s face. With a towel. At this point, Keith’s had it with whatever this was. He grabs the damned thing and does the job himself.

“Funny, that’s exactly what I did that day after Ma did the same thing,” Lance comments, watching Keith from his reflection on the mirror. Keith scoffs and continues to wipe at the side of his face.

“Anything else happened after that?” Keith says to Lance’s image on the mirror.

“Yeah, she kissed me,” Lance says, eyes trailing to Keith’s neck where he was currently wiping at. Keith felt very vulnerable.

“Not that I’m going to do that,” Lance follows up, “That ends here, Mullet, sorry to break it to you.”

“I think I got it, man,” Keith smiles. He puts the towel down on the sink and does a once over at Lance. “We better check on Shiro.”

“Right,” Lance says. He pulls on the sleeves of his army green jacket which he had folded up his arms prior to all the washing. Keith watches this, slightly entranced.

He is jarred from his thoughts when Lance calls out his name. “So you coming?”

Lance’s hand is outstretched. _Oh, boy._

Keith takes it.

**Author's Note:**

> lmao im trash
> 
> oh also translations:  
> querido - dear (lol)  
> estupido - stupid  
> cabron - asshole (lol lol)
> 
> ((srsly guys @ me on my twitter @bakazooya HAHA)))


End file.
